I could watch more Torchwood, do homework, clean my room, or sleep. Or I could do this.

1. Comment on this post. 2. I will give you a letter. 3. Think of 5 fictional characters and post their names and your comments on these characters in your LJ.

stunt_muppet gave me the letter "M." I'm going with the first five characters who pop into my head...likable or not.

'1. Mac Taylor (CSI: NY): Firstly, this gives me an excuse to whip out a quote I have been hoarding on my computer for like, OVER A YEAR trying to figure out a logical time to post it. I'm pretty sure I got it off Talk CSI, but I don't remember who said it, so I was going to see if anyone here recognized it:

(My notes, spring 2006 or 2007: You know, with all the fun about Horatio being, well, the equivalent of God really, I forget that Mac Taylor is an expert at way more things than any one person should be. Having already proven such things as a complete knowledge of ancient Japanese weaponry - not to mention an ability to use the swords - we now find out he's fluent in French, reading it anyway. Insert this quote:

"Mac is Superman. There is nothing he can't do. In the final episode, he will read aloud from ancient Japanese scrolls so he can find the crazy Samurai warrior who's running around New York City decapitating people. The episode will end in a cliffhanger with them dueling with katanas at the top of the Empire State Building."

Secondly, the point of including that quote: Mac gets a lot of flak (no pun intended) for being preternaturally talented, never doing anything wrong, and/or monopolizing the screen time. But if I'm being honest with myself, I see no real problem with this. When the show first appeared on the scene, I didn't even know who Gary Sinise was, and his charater - like the rest of the show - underwhelmed. I must have warmed up to him somewhere in season 2, because by the time season 3 started he was sharing the winner's circle of character ranking with Flack and Lindsay.

Mac tends toward the action hero, but I've admired for quite some time his ability to strike a balance between Grissom's pure science and Horatio's guns-a-blazin' cop routine. Once upon a time, Horatio said "The science is my discipline" (oh God, and hearing that line still makes me die laughing), but it's more suited to Dt. Taylor. Because the cop persona is still very much a part of who he is, running strong just beneath the surface, but he also slides easily into the lab work, spearheading experiments and studying the puzzle.

And I like how that dichotomy crosses over into his personality too. By nature he's the perfect picture of stoicism, a throwback to the old days, steeped in traditional roles of closed-off emotion and professionalism at all times. He's the boss; he has colleagues with whom he can be friendly, but the lines are clear. And yet there's also the side that indulges Stella, is charmed by Lindsay, gives Danny a literal shoulder to cry on - the side that reaches out to Reed on just the barest thread of family. Human connection is always important too, and it's that quiet side that really gets to me, even as I enjoy the hard-nosed interrogation of suspects or the raging at corrupt higher-ups.

...rrrr, meta was so not my intent when I started this meme. I always feel so stupid about what I've written afterwards, all trying to sound deep and insightful, in a way where the trying is noticeable and ends up sounding juvenile. Moving on. SHORTER THOUGHTS FROM NOW ON.

2. Marissa Cooper (The O.C.): It's hard to care about Marissa. Between the drinking, the smoking, the sexual promiscuity and/or confusion, the DRINKING, and her generally underfed and bland appearance, there's a reason you heard me rejoicing when I found out that shedied. Yet the boys kept falling for her glassydeer-in-headlights doe eyes, at least two of them for reasons deeper than just wanting to get in her pants. And I shipped her with both of those two, although that probably has more to do with the boys than her...she was just a convenient prop.

During the rare times I sympathized with her, I think it was because I thought that if she just hadn't grown up rich and spoiled - kind of like many Hollywood starlets at the moment, actually - she would have had a chance at being a normal teenager. Instead all that easy access to trouble screwed up her up for life. It almost wasn't her fault.

Then I'd remember her drinking like a fish, incessantly pulling Ryan into her downward spiral of a life, and cluelessly driving Johnny into depression that ended with his death, so...I feel less sorry for her. The endless drinking and casual naked time really drove me nuts. But she was still better than Taylor effing Townsend. Even to the end, there was a a hint of lost, childlike naivete about her wildly destructive behavior.

...ahaha, and until this moment I totally forgot that I wrote two stories featuring her. That probably explains why every time I try to pin down my character hate, I end up getting sidetracked and making quasi-apologetic allowances for her. As much as I hated watching her character go through all those disgusting escapades, the idea of the character, with all her flaws, must appeal to me. Oh dear God, I'm Johnny Harper.

DEAR SELF, THAT DID NOT IN ANY WAY SEEM SHORTER THAN YOUR PREVIOUS CHARACTER DISCUSSION. SHAPE UP.

3. Martha Jones (Doctor Who): Winning the "Most Improved Character" award, she went from someone I wanted to slap on sight to someone whom I can't wait to see again. I still can't really explain why, because I don't think it has anything to do with her independence or her own personal heroine skills, God knows her familial devotion drives me insane, and I'll always like Rose infinitely better. But she's got a spark about her, and a good store of sass, that I can't help but admire. And despite her unfortunate affliction of unrequited love, she can work up some pretty good banter with the Doctor. Banter is god. (by which I meant "good," but hey, I could worship Banter)

There! That was shorter, wasn't it?? (probably only because I've been talking quite a lot about her for the past 2 months, and I'm all out of thoughts)

4. Marshall Erickson (How I Met Your Mother): You want to know how HIMYM got its claws in me? I mean, really? Because the truth is, it wasn't really Barney. Or the humor. Or even the fantastic way it linked all its episodes together with record continuity. No, all that came later - what got to me was Marshall's heartwarming and unshakeable devotion to Lily.

Which is pretty much still why I love him. Despite the fact that he's very average, and would fit most of those generalized 'this is how guys think' descriptions, he's also been in love with the same woman for his entire adult life (and is now married to her! And will be forever! IS JOY). And while they fall into ordinary been-together-forever routines that married people do, he still pulls out the sweepingly romantic declarations of love every now and again.

Also, he sings, plays piano, and slaps Barney. He created the diabolical genius of the Slap Countdown! You have to love him for that alone. Did I mention he's very funny? Often in a dorky, goofball, we-shall-mock-you-about-this-forever way, but still, he makes me laugh. Which is usually more than I can say for Ted.

5. Miranda Hobbes (Sex and the City): Interesting. Once upon a time I considered her nearly as slutty as Samantha (hahaha!), and really hated her. The short hair didn't help. But then I fell for her the first time I saw her cuddled up with Steve, and the more I saw of her progression from high-powered career woman into the role of family life, the more she moved into a central position of my favorite Foursome member.

I still really don't like her early years - the super-short hair drives me nuts, I'm not kidding - but they softened her character a lot over the years, and it was so definitely the right move. Made her so much more sympathetic and relateable...I'd even say that she becomes the closest reflection to an average American woman out of all of them. And you know me, I'm all about the realism. At arbitrary times, when it suits me.

...holy God, why did I think Miranda Hobbes before Miranda Bailey? FAIL, SELF. FAIL. However, am too lazy to either replace #5 or add a whole extra character discussion, so we'll leave it at that. Bailey can always be summed up with the phrase "inarguably the best thing about Grey's Anatomy," anyway.

--------------- Also, THIS HIGHLY AMUSED ME:

If you know anything about me, you know that I occasionally often like to peruse my old posts, especially by using the tag feature to scroll through my thoughts on one particular show for a while. I type it in randomly on nights like tonight when I don't have to do homework, yet also can't focus on writing anything fandom-y, and so I just sit on the internet wasting time. Which is how I noticed this quip from May's season finale review:

The only thing I'll say up front is that the worst thing that could possibly happen to this show is Hodgins and Angela breaking up, and as long as that doesn't happen, nothing they come up with can (permanently) emotionally destroy me.

AH HAH HAH HAH. Remember May, before the Bad Spoilers of the new season hit and the idea of them breaking up was still a laughable notion?

-.-

-------------And this has nothing to do with anything, but...dude, do you even know how many entries I have tagged 'Doctor Who'? Despite being one of my newest fandoms, I think it's already in my top 4 or 5 show tags. (clearly, best fandom ever) -----------

I don't even remember navigating to CSI Files, but somehow I ended up there, and I figured I might as well click on their usual dull "spoilers" for season 5, because they at least get the episode description up before anyone else does, and it's easier and cleaner than wading into message boards for details. But for once, my slacking was rewarded!

Meanwhile, things get dangerous for Stella when she is attacked as she leaves the crime lab. A man grabs her and slams her against a wall, disarming her and saying he'll shoot her if she turns around. ... Stella lashes out and tries to free herself, but the man slams her to the ground. The only part of him she can see is a scar along his jawline--and the gun he is pointing toward her head.

WHEEEEEEE! I know some people despise the whole women-being-attacked theme the CSI shows have going for them, but personally, I will never get tired of this scenario. Never! As long as they can find ways to get women in dangerous situations, my little mind will just lap it up and beg for more. I'm easily satisfied. :D